Our Jess moves on to pastures new

If you’re reading this blog, then you know Jess. You know her because she’s written for us for over five years. And because in the last couple of years, she became the face of MoM. Across all our social media platforms, you’ll have seen her taste spirits, create cocktails, introduce campaigns, and be the star of a show she would often write, produce, and present. 

Last week was Jess’ last with us as she has taken her considerable skills to the world of travel writing. This is, of course, quite gutting. But we’re also delighted for her and given the scale of her contribution, it felt only right to give her a proper tribute. 

Also, you all needed to know the skinny because it would be weird not to address it and for you all of a sudden to stop seeing a face you’ve seen everywhere on our platforms.

Jess came to us as a graduate of Bristol University, armed with an English Literature degree and experience writing for online music magazines and working in an (extensive) gin bar. A native of our leafy corner of Kent, she began temping in another department within MoM, but it wasn’t long before she got a gig writing for us.

And boy, did she write. Blog posts. Emails. Press releases. Trend reports. Social media posts. Bottling notes. Tasting notes. Banners. Bottle labels. Campaigns. She handled the content (and more) for Pour & Sip. The name for Fresh Copper was her pitch. If there’s a place words exist on MoM, Jess was there. Then she created new places for them to live and populated them. 

You might remember such classics as the Matches Made in Heaven series, kicked off by Jess with a corker on Caol Ila and Maltesers, or the Classic Bars series, another she started with a blog on Coupette. Jess had an eye for an interesting angle, like the importance of bats in agave production, and had a knack for entertaining educational posts on subjects like garnishes, bitters and even ice. Who made ice cool? Jess. Google her name and you’ll see the various places that published her thoughts on the world of drinks, including the Spirits Business, the Drinks Business, and Harpers.

Then she filmed. From her home, from our studio. Look at our videos on Instagram, Facebook… wherever we can post one, you’ll see Jess there. In 2023, she made the IWSC’s Emerging Talent in Spirits Communication 2023 shortlist, which had this to say:

“Content Manager for Master of Malt, our judges highlighted the quality of the communicators that come through the ranks here. Now in her fourth year at MoM, Jess is really pushing the video content via MoM’s various digital channels, particularly Instagram reels. She finds the challenge of engaging people in 60 seconds incredibly rewarding. And while she is excited by video, she is a keen writer too – with regular contributions to the MoM’s blog and clearly really starting to make a name for herself. Our judges felt Jess was doing great things and felt she had a really strong writing style.”

Not to be outdone, here’s team MoM with some thoughts on our Jess:

“I remember the first piece of copy Jess wrote that I proofed. It was about the Game of Thrones series that Diageo did. I have no idea what the exact words were. But I remember how I felt. You need to step the fuck up mate, she is already better than you. I’d been here about a year and a half. Jess? About five minutes. But here we are, five or so years later, and Jess still makes me want to be better at my job/not completely crap at it. Curse you for leaving me all the videos to do.”
– Adam O’Connell, the other one from the Instagram videos

“I don’t think I have ever seen Jess stressed out over anything – she helped me in so many ways, welcoming me into the content team with so much patience and positive energy. Cool as a cucumber with an obligatory tahini dip. If we sold tahini and not whisky might she have stayed longer? She also passed on the secret gem of wisdom that is the pairing of Caol Isla + Malteasers, for which I will be forever thankful (and so will you – you won’t get it out of your head until you try now. Raise a Malteaser to Jess when you do).”
– Emma Symons, rum pirate

“Jess quickly developed into a strong writer when she joined MoM and has since proved to be a video content whizz too! Her brand of informative fun has been vital to the team and I’ll miss her sense of humour greatly. Who else will show us how to get our sunglasses off of the top of our heads and into position with a sharp nod without taking our hands away from our precious drinks?”
– Jake Mountain, Sam Smith’s widow 

“It was always a pleasure sitting through the hours of bloopers and outtakes because we always had so much fun filming. She brought such a wonderful energy to every shoot that was both very calming and ever so slightly chaotic, which seems to be the perfect recipe. We have talked about our mutual love of peanut butter for long enough to write a book, and between us, we have enough pink and purple clothes to dress the entire office. Last but not least, Jess should have won Cocktails against the Clock… it was by far the best cocktail and I have regretted not crowing her the winner ever since.”
– Ben Pender, DeMille-style film director of MoM videos

“Jess is an enthusiasm powerhouse, a fearsome pun-slinger and simply an exceptional writer. Working with her was a joy and I’m hugely excited to see what she does next. Considering how often she throws things in MoM videos on Instagram, I’m assuming she’s off to be a pitcher for the New York Yankees. They’ll be lucky to have her.”
– Sam Smith. He’s alive! 

“She was always willing to do whatever I asked her to, even tasting a whisky on camera in under one minute after I just gave her the dram 1 minute beforehand”.
– Charlotte Gorzelak, weaver of social media magic and fancy blazers

“We knew that at some point Jess would be snapped up by someone else though, to be honest, I thought she’d move on to doing the drink on Saturday Kitchen followed by judging on Masterchef leading to a 19-part series called Jess’s Drinks on Netflix. Still travel content sounds fun!”
– Henry Jeffreys, the UK’s leading Jeeves and Wooster expert

“Every day working with Jess was just the right kind of ridiculous fun. She has that unteachable skill of making everything she puts her words, face or mind to look effortless and her natural spark is a positive contagion that will be massively missed at MoM towers.”
– Sam Simmons, Blender of the (LAST) Year

“Jess takes on anything new with a big smile on her face and loads of enthusiasm. She just gets things done and the most she will do under stress is laugh! It was a pleasure working alongside Jess over the past few years. She helps everyone, has amazing and creative ideas, and “films” like a boss. Her energy is contagious. She is so good at her job that she could describe her “weird-looking lunches” and make them sound wonderful… and takes a lot of creativity, trust me!”
– Giovana Petry, the big boss

Here’s to you, Jess Williamson.

The post Our Jess moves on to pastures new appeared first on Master of Malt Blog.